A Maltese investigative journalist who exposed the island nation's links to offshore tax havens through the leaked Panama Papers was killed Monday when a bomb exploded in her car, the prime minister said.

A Maltese investigative journalist who exposed the island nation's links to offshore tax havens through the leaked Panama Papers was killed Monday when a bomb exploded in her car, the prime minister said.

Alec Baldwin has reprised in his role as Donald Trump for the latest episode of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, identifying the US president as the true martyr of the tragic Charlottesville rally.

When a fairly innocuous question about autopsy results in passports being confiscated and extra police being assigned to your hotel, you can’t help but wonder what the hell is going to happen, reporter Pete Stefanovic tells.

Related Articles

"There has been a change at the top because this government appears to be at war with the defence department," she told reporters.

But in a note distributed to his colleagues on Monday, Mr Lewis said the reports were untrue.

He said Ms Gillard had offered him the Brussels posting several weeks ago and he had decided after much thought to accept.

"I would like to make it very clear that, notwithstanding media reporting, I have not been forced out of my current position and I am not departing defence for any reason other than to take up this ambassadorial posting at the request of the prime minister," he wrote.

Mr Lewis was appointed to defence in September 2011. He is a distinguished former Australian Army officer and was the country's first National Security Adviser, appointed by former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Mr Richardson was appointed DFAT secretary in 2009. He served as Australia's ambassador to the US from 2005 to 2009 and was director-general of domestic spy agency ASIO from 1996 to 2005.

Seasoned diplomat and current High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese will replace Mr Richardson as DFAT head. He will take up the role after he returns from Delhi in December.

He previously served as head of the peak intelligence analysis organisation, the Office of National Assessments (ONA), and has also been posted to Malaysia, Japan and the US.

The Australian Industry Group said it looked forward to working with both Mr Richardson and Mr Varghese in their new roles.